N.z. Halal, Are You Aware?

[Khandro]

Not sure whether this should go in 'Food' or 'R&S'. I'm informed (Spectator) that all lamb imported into the UK from New Zealand is halal, I had no idea of this.

If this is true the majority of the UK lamb-eating public, are eating halal meat whether they approve of this method of slaughter or not to satisfy the requirements of a small proportion of the population.

What do you think?

[anneasquith]

Doesn't bother me.

[Khandro]

^^ So this doesn't bother you?

http://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/58447/halal-butcher-scandal-what-is-halal-meat-and-is-it-inhumane

[Togo]

I do not buy New Zealand lamb. I knew of this a long time ago. Welsh lamb is better anyway. Try the Welsh salt marsh lamb is you want a treat, superb. I don't buy Danish pork products either, antibiotics danger puts me right off.

[jourdain2]

I've known this for some years - at which point I stopped buying N.Z. lamb. I have quite often, when standing at the meat displays, mentioned the Halal issue to another shopper. Every single one has then left the NZ lamb alone. I'm wondering if I'll get thrown off the p[remises if I stand there and say it very loudly.

You'll gather that I think this deceit is appalling. It is also the case in Paris that 3 of the 4 abattoirs are wholly Halal (not cost-effective to split up the slaughter methods apparently)--- the 4th abbattoir is the one that slaughters pigs.

Friends in Limoges were up on arms over plans to make their abattoir was in the process of converting completely to Halal - again, it was cheaper and easier. They were faced with living almost exclusively off pork, as were we.

It is deceitful and grossly unfair (as well as being evil - but that's just my opinion).

I shall now read the other posts.

[sandyRoe]

Should the NZ authorities be blamed for putting profit before any thoughts of animal welfare?

[hc4361]

I've mentioned this a few times on AB. I wrote to the NZ authorities a few years ago and they confirmed it.

[jourdain2]

^^^ Sorry for the disjointed bits, don't know what happened - strange things tonight over the ether!

[vetuste_ennemi]

Halal slaughter. Animal suffering. War Horse. Well!
A question for my moral superiors (can't move for tripping over them on AB)

Some answers:

Epicurus: they don't care.They can't do anything about it anyway. Make the best of it.

Christianity: it makes sense if only you were humble enough to admit it. Mysterious ways etc.

Islam: Allah likes cruelty.

[Togo]

Khandro it is our own fault. Historically NZ main market for lamb was to the UK within the Commonwealth market. We joined the EUssr markets and turned our backs on them. They were desperate for new markets which they found in the middle east. This market imposed certain conditions before they would buy. Halal slaughter was the main condition. Then of course when the inefficient Eussr trading conditions made NZ lamb much cheaper than we could produce, our markets were ripe for exploitation by the Kiwis. Don't blame them.

[hc4361]

Most of the big supermarkets have Halal meat sections where the meat is clearly labelled as Halal.

The rest of the meat that has been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic rules cannot be sold as Halal because it hasn't been handled the way Halal meat should be after the slaughter.

Also, many Muslims will only eat the 'fore parts' of the lamb - the shoulder and breast, so the legs, chump and loin sold to the wider market.

[vetuste_ennemi]

The Epicureans said that the Gods don't care...

[jourdain2]

So much foir the Gods then, v - e ! :)

[Mamyalynne]

Yes, have been aware a while now.

[Hypognosis]

From the thread the other week.


Hypognosis
I hope this proves enlightening. Note the point made about the way carcasses are split and sold to multiple end markets. Unavoidably, this means all carcasses will get the halal treatment as they'd need two entire production lines and tracking/labelling systems, which only adds cost.

----
What about exemptions for halal slaughter?
In New Zealand there is no exemption to the requirement for pre-slaughter stunning, unlike in some other countries.
(Detail edited; mentions *electrical* stunning)

How much New Zealand meat is "halal", and why?
While there are no official statistics on halal production in New Zealand, nearly all of New Zealand's red meat export slaughter premises are certified to undertake slaughter in compliance with halal requirements.
This gives the New Zealand red meat industry the flexibility to export different cuts from a single carcass to the best-returning markets. The industry currently serves some 120 markets worldwide.

http://www.mia.co.nz/industry_information/FAQ-halal/

To me, the core issue is, if method A causes less animal suffering than method B, then we should ensure method A is prevalent, preferably using legislative powers.

Assertive countries exercise those powers.
Timid countries allow themselves to be trampled over, in the interests of something called "social cohesion", which was all the rage, in 1940, apparently.

A certain faith makes a big thing out of not having its laws, supposedly authored directly by its deity countermanded by laws of earthly authorship. In rhetoric, they particularly do not want the laws of current, or former, western, imperialist, countries to apply to them and, it appears, from the above, that mere "market forces" are enough to push around small countries, like UK and N.Z.

01:25 Tue 01st Mar 2016

[douglas9401]

I suppose it's too late for "Come into the 21st century or forego meat you barbarous heathens" then.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Hypognosis: bigot and Islamophobe. I invite the great and the good of AB to address his sins and explain why a dead goat is less important than "social cohesion".

[vetuste_ennemi]

Silly me, I don't think they'll understand the question.

[Hypognosis]

Are you unwell, vetuste?

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Culture/Question1471982.html

I'm off, to sleep.

[vetuste_ennemi]

I think my post was a clumsy attempt at irony, Hypo, not a criticism.

I don't know why you cite that thread. I was trying to get theRoJ guys to defend their position. No luck there.

Schlaf im himmlischer Ruh.

Do hope I don't get a kicking from the author of the OP.

[Khandro]

Reading these posts it seems several of you are aware of this and have taken the action of not buying NZ lamb. Magnifying this nationally it would seem given that less than 5% of the population is Muslim and fewer Jewish, this loss of meat sale could be more than compensated by ending this cruel mediaeval practice and for them to export only non-halal meat,

Looking on the internet there have been many petitions put before the government and nothing gets done about it.